Manitoba Ag Days is gearing up for its 49th annual show, and organizers say Prairie farmers can expect another packed three days of equipment, innovation and expert insights when the doors open next month.
More than 550 exhibitors are booked for the 2026 event, taking place Jan. 20–22 at Brandon’s Keystone Centre.
“The best thing about Ag Days is that you know you’re walking into Canada’s largest indoor farm show, which means that you get 550 plus exhibitors and two speaking theatres for three full days of speaking sessions,” said Teresa Hildebrand, Ag Days’ media co-ordinator.
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WHY IT MATTERS: Manitoba Ag Days 2026 will again offer Prairie farmers three days of new equipment, technology, expert speakers, and local innovation.
Alongside the trade show floor, a full slate of free educational sessions will again run in two theatres throughout the week, covering markets, agronomy, livestock, emerging technology and more.
“We have had strong interest in sessions about markets and disease in canola, and producers will be happy to see both of those things addressed in our speaking theatres in January,” Hildebrand said.
New and returning
The Produced on the Prairies theme, which debuted last year, will return in 2026 with expanded offerings. The Ag Days board wants to keep highlighting local innovation, said board co-chair Dustin Williams.
“We really want to continue to shine a light on the great things happening right here.”
Along with new exhibitors and Innovation Showcase entries, the Produced on the Prairies market has 10 new exhibitors each day, Hildebrand added.
A major new feature will see Ag In The Classroom-Manitoba take over the Dome building for educational programming.
“They will be conducting educational programming in the morning and, new in the afternoon, they will be highlighting careers in agriculture,” Hildebrand said.
The show will also welcome 36 new exhibitors this year.
“Check out the Innovation Showcase and Produced on the Prairies Market in the FCC Pavilion to see the newest products and services in agriculture,” Hildebrand said.
Innovation Showcase
Farmers attending this year’s event will once again find the Innovation Showcase on the trade show floor, with 27 new-to-market products and services selected to help producers stay adaptable in a fast-moving industry. The showcase is designed to give farmers the chance to ask questions directly and assess product quality up close.
“As usual, we have a very strong ag equipment category. In addition, we are welcoming new technologies to manage farm tasks and keep farmers safe. Since there are seven categories of innovations there is something for every type of operation,” Hildebrand said.
Rather than following a single theme, the showcase reflects the breadth of agricultural needs, including innovations for crops and livestock, office tasks, labour tasks and more.
“The strength of the showcase is that rather than bringing out themes, it highlights the diversity of the agricultural industry and addresses that range of operations and operators,” Hildebrand said.
Equipment innovations are expected to draw particularly strong interest.
“There is something about physical machinery that is really symbolic for the industry. Visitors won’t want to miss this year’s equipment innovations. This is the largest category this year with nine innovations,” Hildebrand said.
Strong speaker lineup
The speaking program will once again be a major draw, with Ag Days general manager Kristen Phillips and the committee recognizing how broad today’s management demands are.
“Farming is a complex business and we know how important it is to keep up with all aspects of a farming operation,” Phillips said. “You will continue to see a strong focus on agronomy as well as sessions focused on emerging technology, livestock and marketing.”
This year’s topics are new and current based on farmer requests, Hildebrand said, including Sylvain Charlebois on Tuesday afternoon, geopolitical analyst Jacob Shapiro on Wednesday, Machinery Pete on Wednesday afternoon, and Dragons’ Den investor Arlene Dickinson on Thursday.
Community investment
Community support remains another cornerstone of the event. Through its Manitoba Ag Days Gives Back program, the board offered $2,000 grants and scholarships, plus an AED cost-share program. Applications closed Nov. 1, and winners will be announced during the show.
Ag Days’ is also continuing with the Manitoba Young Speakers for Agriculture (MYSA) competition. Youth aged 11–24 will compete in junior and senior categories, presenting speeches on topics ranging from AI and technology to global markets and the future of agriculture. Finalists selected from virtual preliminaries will speak live on Jan. 20, with category winners earning $1,000 plus a $1,500 bursary toward competing at Toronto’s Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in November 2026.
Planning your visit
With so much to take in across three days, organizers recommend using the show’s planning tools.
“There is so much to see and do at Ag Days that the biggest take away is to use the interactive map to help plan your visit,” Hildebrand said.
Attendees can find the map at the Ag Days website. It allows them to sort by exhibitor type, name or location. For all the latest news, videos and more, check out the Manitoba Co-operator’s Manitoba Ag Days landing page, available on the publication’s website.
